It was a season-long odyssey for the MRU Cougars to reach the pinnacle of Canadian University Men’s Soccer, as for the first time in the program’s history, they reached the U Sports Championship finals over the last weekend.
To cap it all off, a battle against York University for the gold medal was nothing less than heroic, with the Cougars driving the York Lions into double overtime in the middle of a blizzard in Toronto at Varsity Field on Nov. 9.
Ultimately, the Cougars went home with the finish they didn’t want. A silver medal after York Lion and Championship MVP Christian Zeppieri turned a penalty kick into a goal, leaving the score 1-0 for the final.
Cougars Head Coach Ryan Gyaki said it was a hard-fought finish despite not being what they expected.
“It was a tough scenario for both teams, and not what either wanted. But that’s what happens in Canada sometimes,” he said.
The silver lining finish to the season, quite literally, would take some time to digest after being so close, said Coach Gyaki.
“It’s hard to really appreciate the success of the bigger picture right now, but yeah, it’s an amazing feeling, absolutely, representing our university and our city and the work. This level of success is incredible,” he said to LWC while waiting for a flight back to Calgary with the team.
Getting to the national finals as a first for the MRU Cougars Men’s team, he said, came about as a result of the diligence of the team over the entire season.
For the past two years, the team had gotten close, with success reaching the championship weekend. But vying for gold came after a stellar performance by the team that saw them undefeated in the first seven games of the regular season, and ended with a 7-3-5 record heading into the championship.
The game that clinched them the finals matchup against York University ended up being a clean sheet against Universite du Quebec a Trois-Rivieres, 2-0.
Coach Gyaki said winning the Canada West final was a result of having a more regimented team that had experienced fourth and fifth-year players along with some exceptional first-year players.
“A lot of these guys that are on the team now have played in a lot of Canada West semi-finals, finals, and in the nationals three times in a row. So, you start having a little bit more maturity and understanding what’s required, understanding the rhythm of the tournament, because it’s a long week from when you land until the final seven days,” he said.
“The late last-minute signing of Chanan Chanda was absolutely magnificent for us. Guys like Joe Green, other guys like Max Niro, they were all first years and played a massive role in what we’re doing … and make a big difference to be able to put a playlist together.”
Coach Gyaki said having a roster heading into the next season with experience in the finals was invaulable for the team.
“It really changes what you’re it makes it seem more achievable. That’s for sure. I remember playing the first Canada West final and that was just such a basic moment for us in the program. A national final is incredible, even as a coaching staff here, we’re a lot less nervous,” he said.
As for the student body back at MRU, he said that there was just a little bit more pride on campus because of how far the Cougars got this season.
“I think it’s always exciting, regardless. We just witnessed, I don’t see a lot of Blue Jays jerseys around Calgary, but when a team is winning you see them all over the place, and all of Canada got behind them. Whether it’s MLB, I think the same thing happens at the university. A team and a sport can bring people together, and that’s what we’re all about, to bring people together,” said Coach Gyaki.
